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A-Level results: students with an extra reason to cheer

First published
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by Ben Wilkinson, Crime Reporter, also covering Barton and Wood Farm. Call me on (01865) 425427

MANY of Oxfordshire’s students who put in hours of hard work against the odds had an extra reason to cheer yesterday.

Among them was heart patient Alex Humm, who is off to study medicine after securing the grades he needed despite having a pace-maker fitted during last year’s exams.

The 18-year-old Fitzharrys pupil from Abingdon got an A* and two As in chemistry, maths and biology to secure a place at the University of Sheffield.

When he was 13 Alex had open heart surgery to fix a faulty valve and it was then he decided he wanted to become a doctor.

He said: “It changed my life.”

Headteacher Jonathan Dennett said: “It is a great achievement. It shows how he has taken things in his stride.”

Harry Gable

Cerebral palsy sufferer Harry Gable paid tribute to Larkmead School after he achieved two A*s and an A in English Literature, religious studies, and history.

The 18-year-old, who uses a wheelchair, will now study history and politics at Oxford Brookes. He said: “Larkmead made me feel no different and they have made me concentrate on my education. Now we are seeing the results of that.”

Waheed Isam

A year ago Waheed Islam, 18, of Marsh Road, Cowley, was considering dropping out of school after receiving disappointing results. He had got two Us and an E in his AS-Levels at Oxford Spires Academy but decided to start all over again.

He completed two years’ worth of work in the past year to get an A and two Bs in a business dual award and economics.

Mr Islam, who will now study financial economics at the University of Leicester, said: “I realised that I needed good grades to get into university.”

Didcot’s St Birinus School student Joshua Pike struggled with language when he was younger as he has Asperger’s Syndrome.

Joshua Pike with St Birinus head Alwyn Richards

But the 18-year-old from Didcot got an A* in maths, an A* in further maths, an A in chemistry, a B grade in French and is off to Cardiff University to study maths and French. He said: “The staff at St Birinus treated me like any typical student.”

Amy Preece, 18, got into her top choice of university despite losing her father, Andrew, to cancer in February last year.

The Oxford Academy student from Rose Hill will begin a degree in fashion design at Bucks New University in September after getting Ds in maths and history and an E in art.

She said: “It was hard work but I had a lot of support from teachers and staff.”

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